16 Of course, he isn’t trying to help angels, but rather he’s helping Abraham’s descendants. 17 Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way. This was so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, in order to wipe away the sins of the people. 18 He’s able to help those who are being tempted, since he himself experienced suffering when he was tempted.
Reflection
Jesus had a calling – he had a purpose, and he knew what it was. He knew it early on – we read in Luke 2 that when Jesus was 12, his family accidentally left him in Jerusalem because he stayed in the temple to teach instead of being with his extended family when they left the city after Passover.
Now, I am not comparing myself to Jesus by any means here, but I am one of those weird people (we could stop there but I do have a point to this story) who knew exactly what I wanted to do at 12 and never had a plan B and have never changed from plan A. I’m not really sure why – maybe because Joe is 11 ½ years younger than I am, and I watched him learn to walk, maybe because our parents both worked with physical therapists, or maybe because I really liked this man at our church who was a physical therapist. I can’t pinpoint the reason, but I knew I wanted to be a PT that worked with children and especially a PT that taught babies how to walk. I was waitlisted for PT school, and that was a time when there were very few, but like I said – no plan B, so thankfully I got into PT school at the University of Pittsburgh. Since graduating I have changed jobs multiple times, but every job has had at least a part of it that I could work with kids, and now I specifically work with birth to 3-year-olds in their homes teaching them to walk. It doesn’t always happen, but we work really hard at it! I have questioned many times if I should do something else, but I don’t have credentials or the skills to do much else when It comes down to it, and when I ask God, I always get the same answer – “this is what you are supposed to be doing.” I guess that is true because my husband and all of our friends that we hang out with where we live are retired, but I have no desire to do so. I still feel like I do a good job, and I treasure the relationships that I have built and the truly sacred times I have spent with families – like when their child does great or when their child passes away.
Our scripture tells of Jesus becoming human so he could experience all that it means to be human, so that he could be our perfect sacrifice. He knew that was what he was supposed to do. We are not all called for the same purpose or for the same timing. Sometimes it’s not so obvious what we are to do, as Joe said in his sermon – some of us are still trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up. That’s why I think I am weird in that way, but we are all meant to do something in this life. We do have a purpose, and if we feel like we have not met it yet, we need to keep asking for guidance and keep looking for clues. For those of us that feel like we know what our purpose is, we shouldn’t sell ourselves short, because there may be something else ahead of us – we need to keep asking and looking as well. Jesus’s purpose was not fulfilled until after he died. We have no idea what our lives can do for someone else.
by Janet Waryck
For Pondering and Prayer
Jesus became human so he could help all of Abraham’s descendants – all of us. What can you share with others that Jeus has shared with you?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to this earth as a human just like us so that we may know that you know the struggles we face to do what God sent us here to do. Guide us in our purpose or many purposes so that we may continue to grow in you until our lives on this earth are over. Amen.